May, 2009:

Archie Comics has reprinted the first three full-color issues of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (written and drawn by Michael Dooney) in a new trade paperback. This is the comic based on the first TMNT animated TV series from the 1980’s — we know, we know, it’s hard to keep track of which is what in the Ninja Turtle universe! Just remember that this is the series where Master Splinter is Hamato Yoshi, mutated, rather than being Yoshi’s vengeful pet rat.

Antarctic Press and Radio Comix have teamed up once again to bring us the new souped-up Furrlough Color Special #1, in full color, of course! Various artists from both companies have worked together to create this special 48-page funny-animal one-shot: People like Phil “Poinko” Gibson, Smudge, David Davis, Remi Perron, David Goodman, Arthur Goodman, Fred Perry, and Ben Dunn.

DC Comics has brought back a popular (especially with anthro-fans) side-character from the Batman series: Dr. Kirk Langstrom, the geneticist whose secret formula frequently changes him into the savage Man-Bat. (Dr. Langstrom’s formula was the source of many human-animal ‘morph plots in the Batman animated TV series.) In the new Man-Bat full-color one-shot (spinning off from plot points in the current Batman: Battle for the Cowl miniseries), Dr. Langstrom is pressed into the services of the evil man known as Dr. Phosphorous — who’s in for much more than he bargained for! The Man-Bat one-shot is written by Joe Harris, with art by Jim Calafiore and a cover by Ladronn (of Hip Flask fame).

The winners of the eighth annual Ursa Major Awards (formally the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature & Arts Awards), for the Best in anthropomorphic/”funny animal” literature and art first published during the calendar year 2008, were announced at a presentation ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2009 at All Fur Fun in Spokane, Washington.

The Ursa Major Awards are Anthropomorphic (a.k.a. Furry) Fandom’s equivalents of s-f fandom’s Hugo Awards, mystery fandom’s Anthony Awards, horror fandom’s Bram Stoker Awards, and so forth. The Ursa Majors are administered and presented by the Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Association (ALAA), an organization dedicated to promoting anthropomorphic literature and arts both within and outside of the fandom. Nominations and voting for the awards are open to the public. The physical award consists of an illustrated trophy certificate or plaque, designed by the artist Heather Bruton.

Eligibility in ten categories is for works featuring intelligent &/or talking animals first published during the calendar year 2008. This can include new compilations of older works, such as a new collection of previously-published separate works. The winners are chosen by popular vote among those participating in Anthropomorphic Fandom who, first, submitted their nominations for the winners, and then voted upon a final ballot consisting of the five finalists (those receiving the most nominations) in each category. The voting for the awards was open to all furry fandom via the Internet; and took place between March 14th and April 19th; and received votes from countries as diverse as Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Laos, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the USA.

The Winners in each category:

Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture: Bolt, from Walt Disney Pictures

Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work or Series: There She Is, from SamBakZa

Best Anthropomorphic Novel: Waterways, by Kyell Gold

Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction: In Between, by Kyell Gold (from Out of Position)

Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work: Dog’s Days of Summer, by Blotch

Word is out that a new CGI re-make of the classic Rankin/Bass comedy/horror film Mad Monster Party is in the works and has actually been green-lit. Warner Brothers optioned the new film about four years ago, but now there’s word that it might actually happen.

What furries want to know is: Will the werewolf have that cool gypsie outfit again?

There’s a fan site for the original 1967 film that’s closely following news of the remake. Check out www.madmonsterparty.com to find out more.

Titan publishing has collected 176 pages of full-color Wallace and Gromit comic strips together in The Best of Wallace and Gromit trade paperback (by Dan Abnett, Simon Furman, Jimmy Hansen, and others). Nick Park’s beloved and award-winning claymation duo are back in new comic strip adventures, along with their friend Shaun the Sheep and their fierce enemy, Feathers McGraw the criminal penguin!

Lis “Lizardbeth” Boriss has been writing and illustrating the multi-species on-line comic strip Broken Plot Device since 2008. Now she’s looking to produce the first on-paper collection — but she needs help to do that. From her BPD web site:

“It’s been almost a year since BPD started. Many of you have been here since the early beginning, some of you are recent converts. Well, the time has come to collect the past year in a SUPER AWESOME HOLD-IN-YOUR HAND tree corpse form! The title is Nuclear Hoodie, and it’s all of the comics from the past year PLUS a bunch of brand new never-posted-before illustrations and extras. Right now, the plan is to debut the book at Anthrocon. But I can’t do that without YOUR help!!”

Visit her web site at www.brokenplotdevice.com to see the latest comic and find out more about how to pre-order the new book… and help to get it printed!

Bane of the Werewolf is a new one-shot black & white comic by Rob E. Brown, released by Silver Phoenix Enterprises. A gypsy vagabond discovers that the truth of his lycanthropic nature has been hidden from him — and, he discovers that an evil hunchback is out to hunt him down.

Boom! Studios has quite a roster of full-color comic book mini-series coming along that should be of interest to furry fans of many stripes. Disney/Pixar’s Cars (by Alan J. Porter and Albert Carreres) takes us back to the origins of superstar (supercar?) Lightning McQueen. The Muppet Show (by Roger Langridge) takes us behind the scenes as Fozzie, Ms. Piggy, Gonzo, and the rest try to lift Kermit the Frog out of a deep blue funk — in the most surreal ways imaginable. And Farscape: Strange Detractors (by series creator Rockne S. O’Bannon, with Keith DeCandido and Will Sliney) brings us new adventures (and new dangers) for the crew of the living ship known and Moya. While you’re at it, look for the Farscape Volume 1 hardcover collection, which brings together the first four issues of the Farscape comic by O’Bannon, DeCandido, and Tommy Patterson. All of them should be on the shelves now.